Replies

1. 
   eddo234 | May 12, 2022 01:12pm | #1

   In my humble opinion, the rails and stiles aren't wide enough to worry about uneven expansion or contraction, I'd glue all 3 for the most strength

1. 
   Kristopher_4 | May 12, 2022 01:41pm | #2

   Thanks, the rails are 6" wide and the stiles are 4" wide. I appreciate the response.

2. 
   john_c2 | May 12, 2022 02:25pm | #3

   What eddo said.

1. 
   Kristopher_4 | May 12, 2022 03:30pm | #6

   Thanks.

3. 
   jharveyb | May 12, 2022 03:05pm | #4

   I'd probably leave the bottom tenon unglued. 6" can change dimension, esp. outside. 2 tenons should provide adequate strength.

1. 
   Kristopher_4 | May 12, 2022 03:29pm | #5

   Thanks. The middle and top rails are 4" - do you think there is a need to leave the tenons unglued on these smaller rails?

1. 
   jharveyb | May 12, 2022 09:33pm | #17

   No. They will be pretty close together.

4. 
   gulfstar | May 12, 2022 03:44pm | #7

   There are millions of cedar doors with 8 inches wide rails and almost as wide tenons that have stood the test of time, don’t bother with wood movement at this width and if the door is built with kiln dried wood, it will expand when placed outdoor and make everything tighter.

1. 
   Kristopher_4 | May 12, 2022 04:07pm | #8

   Thanks Gulfstar. The wood is air dried so hopefully that will work in my favor when it goes outside.

5. 
   Kristopher_4 | May 12, 2022 04:10pm | #9

   Thanks Gulfstar. The wood is air dried so hopefully that will work in my favor when it goes outside.

6. 
   EdWeber | May 12, 2022 06:30pm | #10

   I'll be odd man out and say, use a traditional pinned (pegged) mortise and tenon joint or even a bridle joint, not a Domino/s
   Gates and doors deal with an incredible amount of stresses. Using small floating tenons would not be my choice.
   JMHO

1. 
   Kristopher_4 | May 12, 2022 06:47pm | #11

   Ed, you make a good point. The parts are already cut on this gate but I have one more to make so I may use traditional methods on that one for comparison. Any thoughts on expansion/contraction of the rail? Thanks

2. 
   _mj_ | May 12, 2022 08:47pm | #15

   +1 with EdWeber. Floating tenons just add more potential failure points. Pinned M&T with epoxy is the way to go.

1. 
   Kristopher_4 | May 12, 2022 10:46pm | #18

   Thanks MJ. Definitely using epoxy on this one.

7. 
   eddo234 | May 12, 2022 07:17pm | #12

   If you own a Domino, and like me, you make your own tenons out of the most appropriate wood, there’s no reason you have to make 3 separate tenons, restricted by the width of the cut setting. You can make one wide mortise up to 2 3/4” deep, and make a compatible-width tenon. Pin them if you feel the need. Much faster than traditional M&T and just as strong.

1. 
   Kristopher_4 | May 12, 2022 08:46pm | #14

   Great idea - thanks. I've already made the tenons for this gate but will give that a shot on the second gate.

8. 
   bilyo | May 12, 2022 07:20pm | #13

   What you are doing with all glued in place will be fine. EdWeber's method is also good. Doing both will be an interesting experiment.

1. 
   Kristopher_4 | May 12, 2022 08:51pm | #16

   Thanks for your response. I'm feeling better about just gluing all three tenons. I've had movement trouble with an outdoor tabletop so I'm trying to avoid any potential issues with this project.